The “crown” included – Van der Bellen quivered: “It wasn’t easy”

At the first beer after the vote in his favorite inn in Vienna-Landstrasse, he openly admits: the election campaign was a tightrope walk. No, it is not Dominik Wlazny, the candidate of the beer party, but Alexander Van der Bellen, who drinks a beer during the successful election campaign.

Double role as a challenge
His dual role as Federal President and candidate for the election campaign was challenging: “It was not easy. When I spoke too presidentially, I was accused of speaking too ‘softly’. If I had chosen harsher words, I would have been accused of not speaking to be suitable for a Federal President”, explains Van der Bellen, who explains why he is very happy if he succeeds in being re-elected in the first ballot.

At noon, VdB was still nervous whether it would work right away
During lunch, Van der Bellen did not want to answer whether the return to the Hofburg would really work without a runout. “I’ll ask you the counter question, do you think it’s the end of the first round?” Van der Bellen dodges the question. Because he is aware of the fact that there were many “impossibilities”.

After five weeks of intensive election campaigns and nominations on the world stage in Rome, London and New York, Van der Bellen has time for lunch with friends and his closest team. Cooking at home is on the menu. Van der Bellen orders schnitzel with potato salad. Van der Bellen does not experiment with culinary delights either.

“How much power do you think the office gives you?”
After lunch, he allowed himself a short break, a walk with First Dog “July”. The blue side, in particular, had suggested in recent days that he would no longer be fit enough at the age of 78. “How much power do you think the office gives you?” He destroys these rumours.

The VdB fans gathered around 4 pm for the election party. The party started an hour later.